Effect of nutrient solution electrical conductivity on cucumber growth and yield in controlled pot soil cultivation

초록

This study investigated the influence of different electrical conductivity (EC) levels on cucumber growth and yield in pot soil under controlled conditions. Four EC treatments were tested: control, T1 (0.5 dS<middle dot>m-1), T2 (1.5 dS<middle dot>m-1), and T3 (2.5 dS<middle dot>m-1), over a 53-day period. Irrigation and drainage dynamics were monitored alongside plant growth, fruit production, and leaf gas exchange. Plants in T2 and T3 required higher irrigation volumes but showed lower drainage rates (16.4%-17.2%), whereas the control and T1 required less irrigation but had higher drainage (24.8%-29.0%). Nutrient leaching was most pronounced in T3 at 51 days after treatment (DAT). Growth and yield parameters were significantly influenced by EC treatments: the highest plant height, leaf area, and fruit fresh weight were observed in T2 and T3 at 53 DAT, while T3 reduced fruit number and quality. Photosynthetic rate peaked in T3 (12.7 mu mol m-2 s-1) but was associated with lower drainage pH and higher electrolyte leakage. In contrast, T2 improved overall growth and yield performance. Water use efficiency (WUE) was highest in T2 (2.82 g L-1) and lowest in T1 (2.22 g L-1). The highest Fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) was observed in T1 and the lowest in T3. Principal component analysis revealed that traits such as fruit fresh weight, fruit dry weight, leaf length, leaf width, leaf fresh weight, and leaf dry weight were strongly associated with T2. These findings demonstrate that a moderate EC level of 1.5 dS<middle dot>m-1 optimizes cucumber productivity in controlled pot soil cultivation.

키워드